NEWS

Aug. 30, 2004

RSU
Expands Services To Meet Student Needs

To better
meet the needs of its growing enrollment, Rogers State University is expanding
its student services to include a campus health center and enhancement of the
existing student development office.

The RSU
Student Health Center is expected to open early this fall in the Health Sciences
Building on the Claremore campus. The center will provide services to students
for consultation, assessment and treatment of minor injuries and illnesses. The
center will also provide students with access to individual, family and group
counseling.

"Students
have expressed strong interest in having a campus health facility available to
them, as well as providing them with counseling when personal difficulties
arise," said RSU President Dr. Joe Wiley. "The new student health center will
meet those needs, allowing our students to lead healthy lives and be able to
concentrate more fully on their studies."

The
health services also will be available for faculty and staff, said Dr. Michael
Turner, RSU dean of students, whose office oversees the health center. The
center will be staffed by Lisa Martin, R.N., director of the student health
center, and counselor Christopher Morgan.

Martin
joined the RSU staff in August after working as a school nurse for Claremore
Public Schools, where she coordinated the care for seven school sites. She has
more than 20 years of health care experience, including service with Claremore
Regional Hospital, Broken Arrow Medical Center and St. John Medical Center. She
holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and ethics from Mid-America Bible
College in Oklahoma City and an associate's degree in nursing from RSU.

Morgan,
who has been with RSU since 2000, is a licensed professional counselor who holds
a master's degree in counseling psychology from Southern Nazarene University. He
has a bachelor's degree in psychology from John Brown University and an
associate's degree from RSU. Prior to joining the university, he worked for
seven years as a youth and family counselor.

In
addition to addressing student health concerns, RSU also has bolstered its
commitment to supporting student diversity and students with disabilities with
the hiring of Jan Smith-Clayton as RSU director of student development. Before
joining RSU in July, she worked nine years in the student affairs division at
Northeastern State University in Tahlequah where she coordinated disabled and
multicultural student services.

At RSU,
Smith-Clayton will oversee RSU's compliance with the federal American with
Disabilities Act, assist with the enforcement of the university's student code
and coordinate student diversity initiatives. She has a master's degree in
American studies and a bachelor's degree in political science and sociology,
both from NSU, and currently is completing a doctorate in higher education from
Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.

The
student affairs office also has hired Jessica Clark to serve as RSU's
coordinator of student activities. Clark will be responsible for student
activity programming intended to provide students with growth and development
opportunities both on campus and in the community. She brings knowledge of the
university and its student services from her service as RSU's student body
president from 2002 to 2004.

The
university also will be expanding campus services by providing a small
convenience store inside the RSU Student Apartments. The RSU C-Store will offer
general merchandise, health and beauty items, toiletries, grab-and-go food
items, snacks, and beverages. The 312-square-foot store is expected to open in
mid-September on the south side of the student apartments. The C-Store initially
will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Later
this fall, menu updates are planned for the RSU Café, which is located in the
Student Union on the Claremore campus. The updated menu will focus on upscale
sandwiches and pizza in order to introduce a variety of healthy, high-quality
foods in a festive atmosphere, said Steve Hedges, manager of RSU Food Services.
The café will be closed Oct. 18-20 in order to remodel the kitchen and dining
area, and the university will be closed Oct. 21-22 for fall break. The café is
expected to reopen on Monday, Oct. 25.

For more
information about student life at RSU, call the RSU Office of Student Affairs at
(918) 343-7579.